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TRENTON'S 
HISTORICAL ASSETS 



Trenton's Historical Assets 



JOHN J. CLEARY 



Read before The Trenton Historical Society 
March 20, 191 9 



19 19 

The Trenton Historical Society 
Trenton, New Jersey 



/4f 



Gift 
Society 



Press of 
State Gazette Publishing Co. 



TRENTON'S HISTORICAL ASSETS. 

,\. city's assets do not cdnsist alone of what figures in the 
tax ratables. Ilonsesi and lands, mills and factories, public 
buildings, personal belongings and the like are ])roperly 
esteemed as evidences of prosperity, progress and wealth. 

I)Ut as a welbbuilt house does not of itself make a home, 
so something more than an aggregation of realty and indus- 
tries enters into our eoncei)tion of an attractive, desirable 
community in which to dwell. For instance, 1 may without 
fear of being challenged, I think^ insist that the city with an 
interesting past has decided advantages over one that has 
grown up mushroom like, or if of mature age, has never been 
the scene of stirring events, the theatre whereon hardv an- 
cestors performed deeds whose mention brings a flush of 
honest pride to the cheek of their offspring. "The Autocrat 
of the Breakfast Table" has told us of the difference between 
the self-made man and the man of lineage. The self-made 
man cuts an admirable figure in many respects, but as Dr. 
Holmes remarks, there is something appealing about the 
citizen who, other things being equal, can Iwast of forefathers 
with a record of distinguished service in behalf of human- 
kind. The family parlor gains in attractiveness to the most 
democratic, the w^alls of which are decorated wdth portraits 
in oil of a few bewhiskeved worthies who fought our country's 
early battles or helped to shape our National or State Laws 
in the long ago; or perhaps of a great grandmother or great 
grandaunt wdio took part, we will say, in the reception to 
Washington at Trenton. 

What is commendable matter of ]udde in an individual, 
for greater reason sujiplies an ennobling impulse in a city, 
a state or a nation. We are justified in erecting moniunents 
to our heroes; in carefullv perpetuating such visible re- 
minders of their times as survive in old churches, in old 
dwelliuiis or anv other work of human hands. 



4 Trenton's iiistokical assets. 

Trenton is blessed beyond ordinary measure with a history 
crowded with inspiring associations. The Battle of Trenton 
gives us fame from the Atlantic to the Pacific and even 
beyond the confines of America. Only within a compara- 
tively few years, however, have we come to a substantial 
realization of the value of other evidences of our historic 
heritage. As late as 1876, when the country was aflame 
with enthusiasm over the centennial of our independence, 
this city witnessed without the slightest emotion the sale of 
the house in which Washington and his Generals held a 
Council of Avar that decided upon the momentous strategy 
of the Retreat to Princeton and its consequent glorious 
victory. Fortunately the Douglass House was not razed, but 
was transferred to new foundations, and it will be preserved 
through lately aroused patriotic effort. 

The Quaker Meeting House near Princeton into which 
General Hugh Mercer was removed after being fatally 
wounded, has escaped unscathed to this day, and constitutes 
one of the most interesting memorials in this section. The 
Old Barracks on West Front Street which date back to the 
French and Indian Wars before the Revolution, failed to 
win the high esteem they deserve, when early in the 19th 
century they were cut in two to permit extension of West 
Front Street, and the premises were devoted to purpose:? 
altogether apart from their historic character. The present 
generation has awakened to a livelier sense of patriotic 
duty. The lamented General Wilbur F. Sadler followed up 
a suggestion given by Chancellor Edwin Robert Walker, and 
labored faithfully for several years with the result that the 
venerable pile has been restored and now constitutes one of 
the most interesting military monuments in the United 
States. 

Slowly but surely a plan is being evolved for the suitable 
marking of the spot at which Washing-ton made his famous 
crossing over the Delaware and under the impetus of patriotic 
men working at the Capitols at Trenton, Harrisburg and 
Washing-ton, we will before many years see a magnificent 
park developed along either river bank Avith an imposing 
memorial bridge joining the two sections. The McKonkey 



TKKM'OX S IIISIUIJU'AL AS8KTS. 



House at the Ferry and Ilear Tavern two miles back from 
the river, both of which are associated with the memorable 
march, are still standing, and the scheme of those in charge 
of the Washington Crossing project includes, of course, the 
preservation of these buildings. Incident to this work, the 
route of the ragged Continentals will some day ere long be 
mark<Ml down to the graceful l>altl(' Monument at the "head 
of town." It is easy to fancy that when all this program is 
finished, Trenton will be more^ even than today, the xMecca 
for patriotic pilgrims from every state in the Fnion. Already 
the Blue Book has announced its ])ur})ose to include the 
roads between Trenton and Washington's Crossing in its 
list of historic routes for automobilists. 

But 1 must hurry on, giving just a mention to the fact 
that many sites about town with revolutionary associations, 
have been marked Avith tablets, largely through the fine 
patriotism of our High School Classes. The route of the 
Continental army from Trenton to Princeton has been 
already marked by the Sons of the Eevolution, and, in the 
same spirit, our energetic Mayor, Frederick W. Donnelly, 
has succeeded in having the old State Hospital Koad named 
Sullivan Way, and he hopes before long to have Washing-ton 
Way take the place of Scott's Road and Pennington Avenue 
in (uir local highway nomenclature. 

I haven't time to dwell upou the important memorials such 
as A^assau Hall and Morven (the home of Richard Stockton, 
the Sig-ner), at Princeton, the Friends Meeting House at 
Crosswicks, and many houses and spots of abiding historical 
interest at I'jordentown, Xew Hope, and other places within 
the Trenton zone. 

And now we come to consideration of another exceedingly 
interesting memorial, in some respects the most interesting 
landmark that Trenton has. The oldest dwelling in Trenton 
is Bloomsbury Court, on South Warren Street^ the property 
at present of Edward A, Stokes. It is entitled to veneration 
not only because of its age, but also because of the high char- 
acter of its original occupant and builder, and the many 
distinguished guests whom it has entertained, as well as 
because it is a fine specimen of colonial architecture. 



b TRENTON S HISTORICAL ASSETS. 

Mahlon Stacy, founder of Trenton, and William Trent, 
from whom our citj derived its name, have their memories 
entwined about the old place. Stacy owned the tract as 
l>art of his large estate, and through his son it passed to 
Chief Justice Trent by whom the present house was erected 
about the year 1717, twO' hundred years ago. It is of oblong 
shape, brick brought from England were used in the construc- 
tion, and its four thick walls stand as straight and shapely 
today, as when originally raised by the conscientious mason 
of the early 18th century. I may say that the fine conserva- 
tory and frame building in front are of later origin, and 
should be removed in any plan of preservation which may 
be decided upon. 

If there were no other claim than such as I have set forth, 
the house ought to be saved from the destruction now im- 
minent unless the city intervenes. But in addition. Blooms- 
bury Court has been the home of three ISTew Jersey Gov- 
ernors, its hospitable roof entertained Washington, Lafayette 
and other heroic figures of the Revolution, and its large 
drawing rooms are redolent with memories of the most charm- 
ing society of Trenton both before and after the struggle for 
Independence. The interior is a fascinating study in itself. 
The imposing stairway, immense doorways, with ancient 
hinges and locks, quaintly carved paneling of the walls, 
beautiful paintings, gorgeous tapestries, old fashioned bed 
rooms and the large bake oven in the basement, all carry 
the visitor back to a more primitive, a more stately, and an 
easier moving life than we know of today. It surely meets 
the poet's description of a home, 

''Built in the old Colonial day 
When men lived in a grander way, 
With ampler hospitality." 

Are the people of historic Trenton willing to permit such 
a building as Bloomsbury Court to pass out of existence? 
A building that antedates even the old Barracks by nearly 
half a century ! A l)uilding that forms so perfect a link 
between Trenton's earliest white settlers and our own day ! 
(I might have told you that there is no question as to the 
authonticity of the history of Bloomsbury Court; we have 



TKKXTO.N S IIIS'roiIK'AL ASSKTS. 7 

a perfect eliaiii of title from the lime the house \\;is huih 
down to its present owner.) 

The present pi'oposition, g-entlenien, is not one merely of 
sentiment, saered and ai)])ealing' thongh that chiim mav he. 
Idle proposal that the city should buy this property is founded 
on good business reasons. The house can be utilized as a mu- 
seum or a branch library which will soon he a Fourth Ward 
demand, or with its welM<ept grounds it can be made a feature 
in our chain of neighborhood parks. 

In a hirger business sense, too, the project makes a fetching- 
appeal. As I argued in the b(\iiiiining of this ])a])er, the city 
with a tine historical setting, with historical evidences of an 
interesting character, with monuments of an eventful past, 
possesses assets of a valuable nature, entirely apart fi-oni 
those which engage the attention of the tax gatherer. Su(di 
a city has something to divert the minds of its people from 
incessant application to grinding workaday cares, something 
to afford impressive object lessons in history to our children, 
to arouse local and national pride and so inspire a larger 
measure of that active patriotism that is so needful today. 

America is full of examples of communities that have been 
quicker thau Trenton to grasp this truth. Boston has its 
Faneuil Hall, its State House, its old South Meeting House 
and other shrines which inspire its citizenship and attract 
profitable visitors from near and far. And from Boston the 
patriotic pilgrim is led to Lexington and Concord, seats of 
stirring events in the times that tried men's souls. Long- 
fellow's old home is one of the show places at Portland, 
Maine. In the same city, by the way, they preserve a ])rivat(> 
residence furnished after the style of the early 70's, which 
has educational value but not nearly to the same extent as 
Bloomsbury Court may ]>ossess for succeeding generations. 

When it was proposed some time ago to raze the old City 
Hall (formerly the State House) in Hartford, Conn., a 
storm of ])rotest went u]) from indigTiant citizens. 

'To destroy or let it go to destruction," said the petition 
of representative citizens, "would be to inflict on coming 
generations an irrcjiarable and unpardonable loss. It is not 
on the oToniid of sentiment alone that this a]-»peal is made. 



<5 TREIsTO^' S HISTORICAL ASSETS. 

A due regard for the material interests of the city requires 
the preservation of this unique relic. Features like this are 
of far greater value than any price which can be put upon 
them merely as piles of stone^ brick and lumber. They serve 
as reminders of past deeds and thus educate and elevate the 
citizens. But they also attract visitors, and looking into 
the future one can easily see how the preservation of this 
historic building will secure to the city an asset as real as 
is Shakespeare's humble home for Stratford, or Blarney 
Castle for the City of Cork." 

The vandals, you will be glad to know, failed in their 
crusade. Last summer, when I visited Hartford, I found 
workmen busy, not in tearing down the ancient structure, 
but in restoring it to its original lines to be thus preserved 
as a sacred relic for all time. 

And what was said of the Hartford building, is equally 
applicable to Bloomsbury Court in this city. 

Bnt let us run down the list a little further. Coming to 
Philadelphia, we have of course Independence Hall and the 
Liberty Bell, the Betsy Ross Home, and the William Penn 
House among other valued relics. Concerning the Penn 
House, I might remind you that when the original site down 
town, Philadelphia, was demanded through the progress of 
business improvements, those Quakers esteemed the little 
building so highly that they took it down brick by brick and 
re-erected it in a conspicuous spot in Fairmount Park ; in 
fact you can see it from the Pennsylvania Railroad train as 
you cross the Schuylkill. And it isn't much to look at. It 
is a modest two-story brick dwelling, simple enough even for 
the original American Quaker to live in.. But the recollec- 
tions it inspires of Philadelphia's modest beginning and of 
the early settlers of the city, give it high rank among the 
assets of an intelligent population. 

Other buildings connected with famous personages in our 
history are of course Washington's Home at Mount Vernon, 
The Hermitage (Andrew Jackson's home in Tennessee), 
and Monticello (the Virginia home of Jefferson). These and 
others like them are maintained as fountains of patriotism 
at which Americans mav drink in fresh love of country. At 



ti;i:xih)n'8 iiistoiucat. assets. U 

JJiiltiniore, not lung ago, the ultl huiut' of Charles Carroll, 
one of the Signers, came into the market and the city bought 
it in for purposes of preservation. Riclnnoncl, Va., carefully 
saves buildings associated with the Confederacy. Savannah 
visitors arc sluiwn the headquarters of General Sherman 
during the Civil War as well as other interesting memorials, 
including a lyjiical southern plantatiuu in the suburbs with 
Us slave quarters. 

St. Augustine, Fla., the oldest city in the United States, 
attracts hosts of visitors every winter who en]oy not only its 
balmy temperature, but also its ancient fort, Cathedral and 
picturesque dwellings , that date back into the time of 
Spanish occupation. 

I)Ut I nuist not weary you with my recital. I might en- 
large the list indefinitely, but enough has l)een said to show 
the trend of public seutiment in this field and that Trenton 
is blazing no new path in the attention that it has recently 
been giving to its historic spots. 

Just a sentence or two about the oldest house at East 
Lynne, Conn., which Avas in danger of demolition a year or 
two ago. The Women's Societies of the State organized a 
movement that resulted in the purchase of the property, 
which had no partictdar historic sigiiificance, yet the con- 
servative Xew Haven Kegister thought it worth while to 

say : 

"For such work as this these societies deserve the highest 
praise and thanks of the people of the State. This house 
should become one of the shrines of Connecticut's discerning 
people." 

Across the Atlantic it is the same story. One of the chief 
attractions for tourists before the wai' was the rich store of 
historic places, not alone those that recall military events 
but houses associated with the lives of men like Shakespeare, 
Dickens, Burns, Scott, Sir Isaac Xewtou, in Great Britain, 
and others of ecpuil fame on the Continent. 

I hope I have awakened your interest to the ])oint that, 
if an opi)ortunity presents itself before long, you will sup- 
port with, your signature and influence the petition to the 
Citv Cnnuuission fnr the preservation of Bloomsbury Court. 



10 teenton's historical assets. 

"A nation withont visible historical monuments," says a jndi- 
cions writer, ''is without one of the most, subtle and power- 
ful influences of national strength and union ; and there 
can be no poorer economy than the alteration or removal of 
such monuments for the sake of a few thousand dollars of 
income." 



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